Unsung Heroes: How The World Got a John Wesley
We all know John Wesley.
The great man of God who traveled over 250,000 miles across England and Ireland, preaching more than 40,000 sermons in his lifetime. A revivalist. A reformer. A man so on fire for God that stories are told of him praying away rainstorms so his open-air meetings could continue.
Yes, he was that kind of man. Unstoppable, unshakable, powerful. And today, millions around the world know his legacy through the Methodist Church.
But there’s someone you probably don’t know, yet she might be the reason we know John Wesley at all.
Her name was Susanna Wesley. John Wesley’s mother.
While history celebrates her son, few talk about the sacrifices of the mother who shaped him. Susanna was a woman of deep conviction. She deferred every economic advantage and poured her entire life into her home and children. She saw herself not just as a caregiver, but a steward of destinies.
Her most important task was educating her children. Not just academically, but spiritually. For six hours every single day, she taught her three sons and seven daughters both morals and scriptures. This wasn’t a side hobby. It was the focus of her life. A full-time calling. And out of that quiet faithfulness, the world got a John Wesley.
Why does this matter?
Sometimes, the most powerful impact doesn’t come from the stage or the pulpit. It comes from the kitchen table, from long hours of unseen labor and from people who choose to stand behind the ones God has called to the frontlines.
Because behind every great man or woman that God sends to the nations, there’s someone else. Someone less visible, who stands behind them.
That’s what Susanna did and that’s what many of us are called to do today.
This is the power of support. This is the power of partnership. And it’s exactly what many of our missionaries need today.
You see, not everyone will be called to go. But many of us are called to send.
And in God’s eyes, the one who sends and the one who goes share in the reward.
That’s why there’s nothing more powerful than standing behind someone God has called into ministry. Especially those serving in some of the hardest, most remote parts of the world, speaking of missionaries.
Some of us are called to be like Susanna. Called to stand behind, to equip, to pray, to give, and to make sure the one sent never stands alone.
What you do on your knees, in your giving, in your encouragement, is just as powerful as what the missionary does in the field.
And that’s where our Missionary Support Initiative comes in.
Through this initiative, you can adopt a missionary, stand behind them, not just with prayer, but with consistent, tangible support. You become part of the story. You help make the ministry possible.
Just imagine, your consistent support could be the reason a missionary stays in the field. It could be the reason a village hears the Gospel for the first time. It could be the reason someone writes a story like John Wesley’s someday.
Because you stood behind them.
Susanna never preached a sermon. She never traveled the world. But she discipled a boy who did, and heaven took notice.
So I ask you, who are you standing behind?
If you’re wondering how to make a lasting impact for God’s kingdom, start here(link to MSI). Support a missionary. Be someone’s Susanna.
By Emmanuel Orimogunje
